NIRF Rankings realizing PM Modi's vision for world-class higher education institutions in India....by Satnam Singh Sandu 

Chandigarh: Ranking and accreditation are essential for assessing the quality of educational programs provided by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).It’s also right of students and parents to know the quality, performance and strengths of an academic institution before taking the most crucial decision of choosing their career.

For this purpose, a ranking system is required to capture all facets of education, teaching, learning and facilities in HEIs. But till 2014, India lacked such a reliable, transparent and authentic national framework for performance measurement and ranking of institutions for higher education.  

To address this pressing need and provide an Indian context to educational aspirations, the Narendra Modi government initiated the process of framing National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in October 2014 and completed the process in 2015 to pave the way for much needed India Rankings for HEIs.

For the past nine-years since 2016, NIRF brings out the most authentic ranking system of the country as it defines 22 parameters in five major heads, many of which are similar to those employed globally such as excellence in teaching, learning and research, to capture quality and excellence of HEIs in India across various categories and ranks them based on their cumulative score on these parameters.

It also includes country-specific parameters relevant to the Indian situation including regional and international diversity, outreach, gender equity and inclusion of disadvantaged sections of society.

NIRF 2024 Rankings

The NIRF 2024 Rankings, released by the Union Ministry of Education on 12 August, is a reflection of the quality, performance and strengths of academic institutions in the country.

A noticeable increase in institutional participation in the rankings exercise this year indicates its recognition amongst institutions of higher education in India as a fair and transparent ranking exercise. 

The total number of applications for ranking in various categories has increased from 3,565 in 2016, to 10,845 in 2024, an increase of 7,280 (204.21% increase) in total number of applicants, which shows a health competition among good institutions from government and private sectors to be part of NIRF rankings (India Rankings 2024). 

Spirit of NEP

It’s heartening to see because rankings, ratings and accreditation is a vital recommendation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 introduced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with the vision is to make HEIs in India achieve the highest levels of global excellence in teaching and research.

India Rankings 2024 deeply reflect the spirit of NEP as HEIs have demonstrated excellence in teaching, innovation, research, graduation outcomes and other parameters to bag a place of pride in these rankings.

This healthy competition among the higher education institutes is improving the overall standards in HEIs along with research, student welfare, publications, etc. have been given weightage with the introduction of the NIRF.

Rise of Indian Educational Institutions in Global Rankings

At the same time, the Ranking framework is empowering a larger number of Indian Institutions to participate in the global rankings, and create a significant impact internationally too.

This is reflected in the significant improvement made by Indian educational institutions in global rankings such as the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings, which have become significant benchmarks for assessing the quality and competitiveness of higher education institutions worldwide.

Till 2014, approximately 10-15 Indian universities were listed in QS and THE rankings. Now in 2024, more than 50 Indian universities featured in the global rankings, showing a robust upward trajectory. 

With 46 universities, the Indian Higher Education system is the seventh most represented globally and the third in Asia, trailing only Japan (49 universities) and China (71 universities), in QS World University Rankings for 2025. With 96 institutions, India is the most-represented nation, in Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024.  

A record 133 Indian universities have submitted to the 2025 Times Higher Education Rankings -- up from 42 in 2017 -- making India the fourth best represented in the world.

Transformation in Higher Education 

Being an educationist for the past two-and-half decades, I am witness to this journey of India’s transformation in higher education in the past 10 years under the visionary leadership of PM Modi. 

India's rising visibility in the world rankings is remarkable achievement driven by PM Modi's reforms. I believe the Modi government has created an enabling environment for the youth of this country to dream big and realise those dreams. 

For realising the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, higher education institutions need to foster an environment of educational excellence. For this, it’s imperative that all the 58,000 HEIs in the country come under the ranking and rating framework, set ambitious goals and strive for higher rankings in future editions of NIRF Rankings. 

Making India a Global Hub of Education  

As 21st Century will be called knowledge-based economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led India is moving towards creating a knowledge-based economy which is innovation-led and technology-driven. For this, employability and skills are a priority. Therefore, our ranking mechanism must also include skilling as a parameter.

An intangible aspects are powerful stimulus to learning and development, mechanism is required to bring intangible aspects of education in the rankings framework.

Being the Chancellor of Chandigarh University, which has achieved a significant milestone by securing the 20th rank in the NIRF 2024 Rankings, I believe the healthy competition among the higher education institutes will further improve their overall standards in the time to come.

With PM Modi providing the leadership to reach the pinnacle, the day is not far when will India again be a global hub of education.

August 16, 2024